Music downloading practices and implications

¶ … downloading of music off of the Internet. The writer argues that it has a tremendous impact on society and the music industry by creating profits. There were five sources used to complete this paper.

Imagine not having any more music concerts to attend. Imagine Kidd Rock, Martina McBride and Ludacris closing up shop, retiring with their millions they have already made and refusing to record again. Now imagine a world without music. This is something each person should think about before one downloads music for free with the belief that they are not hurting anyone with their actions.

Why should artists continue to write new songs, perform on stage and put them to cd if they are not going to be paid for their efforts? Would you go to work if at the end of the week you didn't get a paycheck? Downloading music instead of paying for the cd or privilege will have long reaching affects on society. It will discourage artists from producing new material and it will teach future generations that stealing is okay as long as one doesn't get caught. Both of these options have negative impacts on society.

In a period of lackluster sales, illegal downloading isn't the only factor affecting the depressed music industry. Disgruntled consumers have contributed significantly to the decline in retail music sales. Retail music sales, valued at $12.5 billion in 2005, are predicted to fall to $10.5 billion by 2010, according to a recent Mintel report (Spotlight, 2006)."

The impact that free downloads has on the music industry cannot be ignored any longer. Many famous artists have come out with statements that if it doesn't stop, they will stop making new cds and recording new material.

The problem is not specific to one genre of music. It is pervading all types of music and all types of audiences.

Some industry leaders have decided the way to combat the problem is to sue, while others are moving toward recording only single tact songs instead of complete albums or cds.

In an effort to keep up with the digital marketplace, industry leaders have marketed artists to sell single songs rather than complete albums. This new marketing strategy has contributed to the lack of strong up-and-coming musical talent in the marketplace that exhibit "staying power," such as legendary iconic artists like Prince, the Beatles, or U2(Spotlight, 2006)."

Digital technology is not going to disappear. It is here to stay. The answer isn't in lawsuits as it is very difficult to track down the offenders and the cost of suits that transcend state and national lines is extremely costly both in time and money.

The answer is going to be in how the artists adapt to the digital age and what laws are put into place to control and mandate the use of online download sources.

The ethics of free downloads has been tested in research and shows it won't stop without some threat of punishment (Taylor, 2004).

One of the ways this problem can be addressed is for the government to implement laws that increase the fines for free sharing while providing benefits by way of reduced taxes to companies that offer downloading for a reasonable cost. Paying the artists a portion of each sale is not as difficult as it sounds. Each time a particular song from an artist is downloaded the computer software can generate that the funds paid get divided between the artist and the site and a monthly check gets sent to the artist.

If this is not done and the downloading from free sites continues music as society knows it will change forever. A world without new music is a world without joy. How many songs do you know that remind you of a special event, person or place in your life? What if that was gone? What if the future holds nothing but old music and no new tunes? It is possible that much of the music industry will become extinct if the artists continue to have their work stolen without payment.